Chapter XII: Part I: North American Dominions (8)

The Spaniards having heard the word Castellano, repeated by the Indians in the former voyages, Cortez enquired of the Caciques, if any whites existed among them, and learning that there were, he gave large presents to some of them and dispatched them to the neighbouring continent to search for and bring any European who might be there to him; he also sent two ships to Cape Catoche, where the word Castellano had been most frequently heard; in consequence of these exertions, which he doubtless made to gain a knowledge of the interior from the captives, Jeronimo de Aguilar gained his liberty, and went to another Spaniard, Alonzo Guerrero, to obtain his freedom, and to solicit him to accompany him; but Alonzo having married an Indian woman, by whom he had several children, would not return to his countrymen; and Aguilar lost so much time in endeavouring to persuade him, that the ships had already sailed, the appointed time for their stay being only eight days; but one of the ships having sprung a leak, the whole fleet returned to Cozumel a few hours after they had left it. Aguilar now crossed to the island in a canoe, and presented himself to Cortez. He had nearly forgotten his native language, was so dark from the burning climate, and almost naked, that it was with difficulty he was recognised as a Spaniard; he carried a paddle in his hand, and had an old prayer-book in a tattered bundle on his back; on coming before Cortez, he squatted down on his hams after the Indian fashion, and no one discovered that he was the Spaniard they were seeking for. He said at last, that he was a native of Ecija, and had been brought up for the church; but had been wrecked eight years before, in a voyage from Hispaniola to Darien. He and his companions in misfortune tried to reach Cuba in the shipʼs boat, but were drifted by the currents on this coast, where the Indians made them all slaves.

Most of them had been sacrificed to the idols; others, among whom were two women, were worn out with disease and fatigue, and soon died. Guerrero and himself were the only survivors; Aguilar had been condemned to die, but had escaped to a friendly chief, who had ever since protected him. He knew nothing of the interior, being kept constantly employed in getting wood and water, and in the cultivation of maize. Guerrero had adopted the Indian manners, and had headed them in their attacks on the former navigators. Aguilar was much employed by Cortez in the subsequent conquest of Mexico.

The great temple of Cozumel was served by a priest in a long mantle, who addressed the people from the summit. They burnt incense before the idols, which so enraged Cortez, that he ordered his soldiers to destroy them, and made the Indians build an altar on the top, on which he placed an image of the Holy Virgin; and a crucifix being erected, one of the chaplains said mass, to which the people paid much attention, and as it afterwards appeared, burnt incense before the image and cross.

Cozumel was formerly inhabited by the Spaniards, at the ruins of several buildings, situated in a wood of palm-trees, indicate.

_Ambergris Key_, or Ubero Island, is the next of any consequence south of Cozumel. It lies in the Bay of Hanover, is seventy miles long, but narrow, and nearly shuts in the mouth of the bay. It is opposite to this island that the British logwood cutters are settled; besides Ambergris Key, there are several smaller islands in Hanover Bay.

The British settlements extend from the mouth of the river Hondo, to the north of Hanover Bay. This bay is in 18° 45ʹ north latitude, and 89° 15ʹ west longitude, where it receives the Rio Hondo.

_Turneff Island_, lies south of the former; is in 17° 16ʹ north latitude, 88° 20ʹ west longitude; twenty miles in length, and ten in breadth; abounding in cocoa-nut trees, and constantly frequented by the fishermen of the adjacent coasts. This part of the coast, as well as that of Vera Paz, and the gulf of Amatique, is also studded with islets.

On the coast of Honduras, towards the northern part, lie the islands of Utila, Ruatan, and Bonacao, of which _Bonacao_ is supposed to be the _Guanaia_ of Columbus, the first island discovered by him in his fourth voyage. He made his brother Bartholomew land here, who found lapis calaminaris, which some of the sailors supposing to be gold, concealed lumps of for a length of time. He took a canoe full of people on board his ship, which came from the adjacent continent, and obtained information concerning it from them; but the land lying to leeward, he did not attempt to explore it, and therefore held on to the eastward, and discovered Cape Casinas, or Honduras. Bonacao, is about sixty miles in circumference, lying in 16° 30ʹ north latitude, 86° 23ʹ west longitude.

_Ruatan_ or _Rattan_, in 16° 24ʹ north latitude, and 87° 10ʹ west longitude, is thirty miles long and twelve broad, with a fine harbour. The island is surrounded with shoals; it was settled by the British in 1741, for the purpose of carrying on the logwood trade, but was soon abandoned.

_Utila_ is a small island to the south-west of Ruatan.

_The Swan Islands_ are a group at some distance from the north-coast of Honduras, being chiefly barren rocks. Off Cape Gracias à Dios, are a multitude of islets and shoals.

Misteriosa and Santanilla are at a still greater distance, nearly in the middle of the gulf of Honduras.

_Santanilla_, consists of two small islands surrounded with rocks, in 17° 20ʹ north latitude, 85° 30ʹ west longitude.

_Misteriosa_ to the north-west of these, seems to be a considerable bank or shoal.

_Viciosas_ is a cluster of very small isles, in 15° 12ʹ north latitude, and 84° 4ʹ west longitude, opposite to the Bay of Carthago.

_Cocoa-nut keys and Carrantasca shoals_ are other small clusters, to the north of Cape Gracias à Dios.

South of Cape Gracias à Dios are several groups of small islands and rocks. Tangulaco, Man of War Keys, Pearl Keys, little Corn Island, Great Corn Island, and a multitude of little islets, line the eastern shore of Honduras.

_The Pearl Keys_ are a groupe of islets near Pearl Key lagoon, on the Mosquito shore, in north latitude 11° 15ʹ, west longitude 83° 12ʹ.

St. Andres and Santa Catalina, or Old Providence, lie farther out at sea than the last mentioned.

_St Andres_ or _Andero_ is situated, in 12° 30ʹ north latitude, 81° 40ʹ west longitude, south south-east of Cape Gracias à Dios, and west south-west of _Providence Island_, which lies 80° 45ʹ west longitude; and 13° 26ʹ north latitude, is eleven miles long and four broad, with a good soil, excellent water, and pleasant climate. It was formerly inhabited, as well as many other small isles in these seas, by the Buccaneers, who fortified it. It is said there are no serpents or venomous reptiles found here, although it is near a continent in which they are so plentiful; at present this isle is uninhabited.

Roncador, Serranilla and Serrana, are to the north-east of the last.

_Roncador_ is in 13° 45ʹ north latitude, and 79° 30ʹ west longitude.

_Serranilla_ Isles, are a cluster of small islands, in north latitude 16° 10ʹ, west longitude 80° 10ʹ.

_Serrana_ or _Pearl Island_, so called from Serrana, a Spanish navigator, who was wrecked on it, is in 14° 5ʹ north latitude, 78° 50ʹ west longitude. All these which lie to the east of Honduras are small.

In the bay or lake of Chiriqui on the coast of Veragua, are several groupes, of which Provision Island and Bocalero are the principal ones.

The whole of the eastern coast of Spanish North America abounds with islets, rocks, shoals and sand-banks, and there are consequently but few good harbours; for although there are many deep bays and gulfs, yet the entrances to them are in general blocked up.

The western coast is in the contrary extreme, vary bold, and with few Islands; in describing these we shall commence on the north off the coasts of New California, where the first are the rocks, called in Spanish the _Farallones_, in 37° 48ʹ 10ʺ north latitude, and 123° 1ʹ west longitude.

The next are the island of _Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo_, in 34° north latitude, and 120° 31ʹ west longitude.

The island of _San Nicholas_ in 33° 16ʹ north latitude, and 119° 30ʹ west longitude.

The island of _San Salvador_ in 32° 43ʹ north latitude, and 118° 30ʹ west longitude.

Island of _St. Martin_, or _de los Coronados_, a small groupe in 32° 25ʹ north latitude, and 117° 18ʹ west longitude.

Island of _San Bernardo_ in 29° 40ʹ north latitude, and 115° 56ʹ west longitude.

Island of _Guadalupe_ in 28° 53ʹ north latitude, and 118° 17ʹ west longitude.

This last island is about thirteen miles long, composed of high, rocky and naked mountains with two small islands, one about a mile west south-west and the other two miles south of its southern point. The latitude and longitude are that of its southern cape, the island itself running thirteen miles farther to the north.

The island of _San Benito_ is small and surrounded with shoals; it is mountainous, and its highest part is in 28° 18ʹ north latitude, 115° 46ʹ west longitude.

Island of _Cedros_ in 28° 2ʹ north latitude, and 115° 23ʹ west longitude.

To the south, off the coast of Old California, the islands are not so numerous; there are however, several very small ones in some of the bays, and near the bay of La Magdalena one large one, named _La Margarita_, of which nothing is known excepting that it is about forty or fifty miles in length, and hilly.

On the east coast of Old California are several small islands, much used in the former pearl fishery; of these, proceeding from Cape St. Lucas to the extremity of the Vermillion Sea, are the islands _Cerralbo_ and _del Espiritu Santo_, near the Mission de la Paz; islands of _San Francisco_, and _San Jose_, with several smaller ones. Island of _Santa Cruz_, island of _Montserrat_, and island of _Catalina_, near Puerto Escondido, and a large island near the coast of the Mission of Loretto; of these _Santa Cruz_ is famous, as having been the abode of Cortez during his expedition to California; he remained on it a considerable time, suffering dreadful hardships, and losing the greater part of his followers by famine and disease. Santa Cruz is in 25° 23ʹ north latitude, and 110° 47ʹ west longitude.

Island of _St. Lorenzo_ opposite Tiburon isle, and the

Island of _Santa Ines_, or _Angel de la Guarda_, a fine and extensive tract.

In the estuary of the Gila and Colorado, at the extremity of the gulf, another large island appears, but of it nothing certain is known; descending the gulf of California on the eastern shore, off the province of Sonora, are the islands of _Tiburon_, _Tortuga_, _Lobos_, _San Ignacio_, and several smaller ones.

_Tiburon_ is the largest of these, and appears to be about sixty miles in length.

Off the shore of the intendancy of Guadalaxara is the islet of _Isabella_ in 21° 50ʹ north latitude, and 105° 56ʹ west longitude.

Islet of _Juanico_ in 21° 45ʹ north latitude, and 107° 41ʹ west longitude.

_Piedra Blanca_ at the mouth of the Rio Grande de Santiago, and in the port of San Blas, in 21° 33ʹ and 105° 17ʹ west longitude.

_Las Tres Marias_ abounding with wood, water, salt-pits and game, which cause them to be frequented by the English and American whalers; the French and English pirates used to winter in them, when they cruised in the South Seas. The south cape of the easternmost island is in 21° 16ʹ north latitude, and 106° 17ʹ west longitude. They were named Islands de la Magdalena, by Diego de Mendoza in 1532, and are occasionally visited by the Spaniards from Saint Blas, for the flax and lignum vitæ they produce. South of these, and near cape Corrientes, is the islet Isasvirivil in 20° 45ʹ north latitude, and 105° 57ʹ west longitude.

The Revillagigedo islands, which are a considerable distance from the coast, are four in number. Santa Rosa, Socorro, Rocca Partida, and San Benedito; their origin seems to be volcanic, as pumice stones are found in them; _Santa Rosa_ is in 18° 37ʹ north latitude, 114° 3ʹ west longitude. _Socorro_, the highest summit of which is more than 3657 feet above the sea, is the largest of the group, but not above fifteen or twenty miles broad and long, and is situated in 18° 48ʹ north latitude, 110° 9ʹ west longitude. _Rocca Partida_ is in 19° 4ʹ north latitude, 111° 5ʹ longitude. _San Benedito_ in 19° 18ʹ north latitude, and 110° 53ʹ west longitude.

Socorro was visited by Captain Collnett, on the 20th September, 1793. He afterwards saw other islands of this group.

At Socorro no anchorage could be found near the shore, the coast being exceeding bold and steep, except in a small cove where they had only ten fathoms; which place he judged to be too insecure. On this island, which consists of one very elevated summit and several detached points, that have a singular and picturesque appearance, the crew of his ship procured plenty of wild beans and prickly pears; they also sowed all sorts of garden seeds and some cocoa nuts. Leaving Socorro they went to San Benedito, or San Berto, where they procured the same fruits: they then explored Rocca Partida; its greatest length was fifty or sixty fathoms, its breadth, thirty five, with two separated pinnacles, which are about 120 feet in height, and look exactly like a ship under jury-masts, when seen from afar: its distance from Socorro is about forty-eight miles west. Here they saw a prodigious quantity of fish, but could only catch a few, owing to the multitude of sharks which destroyed their lines. A man reaching over the gun-wale of the boat, one of these ravenous animals attempted to bite his hand off, and they even seized the steering oar at the stern, so that they were obliged to lay it in.

Man of war birds and seals were the only habitants of this dreary rock. They steered from hence to the coast of California, and returned to Socorro on the 25th of November, 1793; after examining the coast they found a small bay on the south, with twenty-five fathoms water and good anchorage; the surface of the island on being explored, appeared to consist of a fine loose cinder, excepting on the north-east, where the ground was more firm. Captain Collnettʼs crew being very weak, and his ship in a bad state, he staid here only long enough to procure fish and fruit, and before his departure named the group Revillagegido, out of compliment to the Viceroy of that name, who had treated him with kindness whilst a prisoner at Mexico.

These islands were originally discovered by the Spaniards.

The whole coast from hence to Guaxaca and along the shores of the kingdom of Guatimala presents no islands of any consequence until we reach the extremity of Veragua, towards the south, where, between Cape Dulce and Cape Mariato are the isles Zedzones, Mentuosa, Quibo, or Caybo, and Quicaras; the first are merely small barren rocks.

_Mentuosa_ rises to a considerable height, covered with cocoa-nut and other trees, and is about five or six miles in circumference, in 7° 15ʹ north latitude and 82° 40ʹ west longitude. The _Quicaras_ are two islets, one of which is seven miles, the other two or three in length, and about twelve miles south of Caybo; they are also covered with trees.

_Caybo_, or _Quibo_, was visited by Lord Anson, in his celebrated circumnavigation of the world, on the 3d of December, 1741; when he came to anchor near Canal Bueno, and staid here until the 12th of the same month.

They found plenty of water and wood. The island is of moderate height, and thickly covered with a forest of cassia, limes, &c. Tigers, monkeys, wolves, and deer, abound, but were all extremely shy. Parrots, parroquets, macaws, hawks and vultures were seen in large flights; guanos, alligators of enormous size, the hawkʼs-bill and green turtle were found in great numbers, and the shores abounded with sharks, sea snakes, and various sorts of fish. Venemous reptiles were common, amongst which was the dreadful hooded snake. This island was afterwards visited by Captain Collnett, in 1794, who was bitten in the knee by one of these serpents, and continued for a length of time in great danger.

The writer of the voyage of Commodore Anson, speaks with great delight of the beauties of this isle, and mentions a cascade in the north-east part, which surpassed any thing of the kind they had ever observed; it was formed by a river of transparent water, rushing between rocks, over a ledge forty yards wide, and 150 in length, overhung by beautiful tropical plants; a flight of macaws passing over, and hovering about whilst they were observing this fall, added, by the glittering appearance of their beautiful plumage, to the singularity of the scene. The cedar trees were of enormous size, and the place affords, from its good anchorages, every facility to a distressed vessel cruizing in the Pacific.

The coast abounds with whales.

These are the last islands of Spanish North America in the Pacific Ocean; with them we therefore conclude the description of that portion of the trans-atlantic colonies of Spain.

END OF PART THE FIRST.

PART II.

SOUTH AMERICAN DOMINIONS.

Sid^y Hall sculp^t. 14, Dury St^t. Bloomsb^y

Published as the Act directs. Aug^t. 20, 1818, by Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme & Browne, Paternoster Row, London.]

SPANISH AMERICA.